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North Carolina Below National Average On Recent Public Education Report Card

A Guilford County classroom. KERI BROWN/WFDD

North Carolina's schools aren't making the grade according to the recent Quality Counts report from Education Week. 

It's a state-by-state assessment of public education, and it gives North Carolina a C- in the latest evaluation.

The average grade for educational performance in the nation was a C, the same as last year.

North Carolina scored below that average in three categories including chance for success, school finance and K-12 achievement; that puts it 40th in the country.

Sterling Lloyd with Education Week Research Center says North Carolina dropped in the rankings when the report changed its grading criteria in recent years.

"We've focused more on quantitative performance metrics and North Carolina struggles on some of these indicators, particularly those that have to do with family income and poverty and factors that help students get off to a good start early in their school careers," Lloyd says.

Massachusetts had the highest grade, a B+, while New Mexico and Nevada received the lowest grades with Ds.

Bethany is WFDD's editorial director. She joined the staff in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming editorial director, Bethany was assistant news Director, a reporter and associate producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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